Election

Peyton Manning is careful with his words, handling questions with the same vision with which he scans defenses.

So it says something about the Broncos quarterback's admiration for New England coach Bill Belichick when Manning said the following Wednesday afternoon: "Coach Belichick is the best coach that I have ever competed against, and I think it's safe to say that he will go down as the greatest NFL coach of all time."

Sunday, in the AFC championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Manning and his Broncos are going to have to find a way to beat "the greatest coach of all time" if they're are going to advance to the Super Bowl.

Broncos cornerback Marquice Cole, left, runs through drills during practice Wednesday at Dove Valley. The Broncos on Tuesday signed Cole as a free agent. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Earlier in the day, the Broncos put in their first full practice for the title game. Every player was a full participant expect for defensive back Mike Adams, who was limited because of a bruised thigh.

As defensive backs coach Cory Undlin put his players through a drill, he had a new number his ranks.

No. 34 is cornerback Marquice Cole, signed by the team Tuesday to fill the void left by the season-ending knee injury to Chris Harris Jr.

"Marquice is a guy that has been playing, he's in shape, he's fit and he was the best guy available," coach John Fox said when asked why the Broncos signed Cole.

Also on the practice field Wednesday, in a new role, was tackle Vinston Painter, who was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. He replaces Derek Wolfe, who was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Cole is expected to be used in the Broncos' nickel package and on special teams. The fifth-year player has seen action in 64 regular-season games (two starts) with the N.Y. Jets (2009-11) and the Patriots (2012-13).

The Broncos practiced Wednesday under most cloudy skies and a temperature of 46 degrees at their Dove Valley headquarters. The forecast for Sunday's game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High is expected to approach 60 degrees.